Scottish beef finishers are enjoying some of the best beef prices in a decade with only 2017 and 2013 having higher prices at this time of year. For over a month average prices quoted by AHDB have been above £3.90/kg for R grade steers with this week’s price sitting at £3.94/kg, down a penny a kilo. This is an average price which includes all Angus premiums and volume bonuses paid out to farmers.

R4L heifers didn’t move this last week and continue to be quoted £3.94/kg and same-grade young bulls rose 2p/kg to an official AHDB price of £3.82/kg.

Cows grading O-4L were reported at £2.78/kg, which is a fall of 10p/kg in the week.

Store cattle numbers doubled on the week with 5,050 sold through the live ring.

The national average rose by £69 to £1,015/head. With continued uncertainty over a potential Brexit deal, the beef market could see a shortage in the new year if southern Irish producers are locked out of the UK market.

Meanwhile, the lamb trade is holding rock solid despite sales hitting peak numbers. Prime lambs in the live ring are making £2.11/kg for medium weights which is the same price as last week. Prime lambs are worth over £20/head more this year than last.

Marts sold 26,435 prime lambs the ring, a rise of 15% on the week. Heavy lambs didn’t change price and average £2.08/kg.

Meanwhile, the UK average price published by the ADHB sits at £4.55/kg deadweight for R grade lambs. Scottish abattoirs are paying similar prices to the UK average.

The live ring continues to sell just under 10,000 cull ewes per week with 9,961 trading in Scotland last week.

Prices rose by £1.63/head to £ 63.84/head.

Scottish marts sold 26,435 store lambs last week, a rise of over 4,000 head.

The biggest sale of the week was held at United Auctions, with over 8,000 lambs traded.

Thainstone and the Caledonian marts both sold around 3,500 store lambs.

The average price of store lambs was £63/head at United Auctions, £67/head at Thainstone and £55/head at Caledonian.

The highest average price for store lambs was at Forfar Mart, which averaged £73.27/head.

Across, Scotland continental and Suffolk lambs are commanding around £71/head, while Cheviots averaged £55/head and Blackfaces £48/head.